Blog of Earthworks Farm, Alaska

New Soap Creations for 2017:

Here are two new soap creations that I’m bringing into the new year: Chocolate Espresso and Steller’s Jay Lavender.

Chocolate Espresso Soap:

Bruce and I went to the City Dweller’s Chocolate Lounge in Anchorage while doing a little Christmas shopping. I just loved drinking up their wonderful Chocolate Espresso drink–a very rich and creamy chocolate dream. The experience stuck in my mind and I couldn’t help thinking about how to extend that experience into soap making. Wella! Here it is! My own soapy version of that lovely experience. For colorants I used two colors of brown mica, brown oxide (mineral), gold mica and a dollop of Titanium dioxide to imbue the creamy white on top. When I poured the white it swirled right down to the deep dregs of the espresso darkness at the bottom. To allude to that lovely chocolate flavor, I added a Chocolate Espresso fragrance oil–smells like the real thing! But don’t eat it–not so yummy!

Steller’s Jay Lavender Soap:

I’ve been longing to make a lavender soap but just didn’t want to make something that we’ve all seen before. I thought about using a blue colorant but just didn’t want to make it so simple either. Perhaps some sort of swirl? I love a creative challenge. So I kept thinking about how to design it and came up with nothing specifically inventive, and got a little discouraged and put the idea back on the ‘back burner’. Rather than tackling the concept of the colorants and design, I changed my focus on what to call it. I’ve already seen, ‘lavender fields’ and lavender swirls, etc. So I thought maybe a name with ‘blue’ in it. First I thought of ‘Bluebeard’ (whoa–bad association–drop that idea), then thought, “how about ‘blue bird’? ” Kept following that idea for a few moments and asked myself is there an Alaskan blue bird? Googled and the answer is yes! It’s called Steller’s Jay. And it has a most beautiful color pattern. Check out a picture here:

The lovely colors and pattern of the Steller’s Jay was just the inspiration I needed for my soap design–Yey!! finally got it! I poured two soap batches for the bottom color, one is a lovely vibrant blue mica that has an effervescent blue green color, and the other was a simple blue color. I poured them together so that there would be a blue on blue swirl. Then letting it cool a bit to thicken and harden, I poured the top layer which is a black pearl mica with a little dab of the blue green mica to give it an extra sheen. For the finish, adding a little silver speckling of mica on the top and a good spike of lavender essential oil–and wella! another new soap creation.

You can find these soaps at our online store: Or come to our farm (if you’re in Alaska) located in the Matanuska Valley; our address is 5705 N Farm Loop, Palmer, AK